Among the Missing - With a Plentitude of Acorns in the Forest, the Squirrels Have Moved to Bigger and Better Things.

Word of the Day

Cravatinize - To procrastinate, usually from a function, party or church, whilst putting on a tie, cravat, bow tie, or other neckwear.

I finally took down the hummingbird feeders. My folks still have their feeders up but I think they plan to take their feeders down as soon as their supply of pre-made nectar runs out. I imagine that any remaining hummingbirds that were around our place will have flown south...at least as far as the next remaining meal ticket. I've got all my hummingbird feeders washed and ready for winter storage.

I opened my last 25# bag of bird seed this morning and filled my seed feeders. The birds have been hitting them pretty hard. If I were to remain here all winter, I'd have to really stock up on the bird seed. As it is, I'm hoping that this bag of seed will last until the end of the month. If not, well...I just may end up taking the seed feeders in and storing them for the winter, empty. I don't like to keep bird seed over the winter. Mice.

The bane of HTP and my existence up here at The Lake is mice. The best that we can do is remove all sources of food, plug up all holes that we may find, put out poison, and then hope for the best. When MC Daughter and D Buddy opened up this spring, they found eight dead mice and a mess of "mouse tracks". *shudder* Thankfully, all evidence was removed before HTP and I had arrived. Well....almost all the evidence. The problem with D-con is that the mice don't die right away. It took me a while to find and clean up the stashes of d-con that they stored in various parts of the house. The beds, under the seat cushions, in shoes, etc. etc. HTP and I are going to try a different sort of poison this year. No little tidbits to carry around. Plus, we're going to try a few different types of traps. Build a better mousetrap....

The weather is cooling, as they (the weather guys) permitted. HTP and I are enjoying the cooler temperatures with windows open versus AC.

Murphyism of the Day

Rita's Rule

The one time you don't put money in the meter will coincide with the one daily visit of the meter maid.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Cynically speaking, one could say that it is true to life to be cynical about it.

-- Paul Tillich

Giant Puff Balls (these were the smallest ones) - September 2007


Old Grey Frog With Giant Puff Balls - September 2007


Me and My Mom Posing With Giant Puff Balls - September 2007

Word of the Day

Craptent - Content that lacks quality.

Puff the Magic....Puff Balls?

HTP and I were driving down our driveway on the way to go shopping in the city. We try to avoid or minimize these shopping trips because of the gas prices and the fact that the city is 20 minutes away from The Lake...but...needs must. Anyway, as we were heading down our driveway a glimpse of white hit my eye. White where there shouldn't be such a startling shade of white. White mounds. Giant Puff Balls? No way, no how. I'd never even seen one before...outside of the occasional newspaper article. "Stop!", I called to my husband. "STOP! Back up!" His reply was predictable, "Huh?" "Back up! Back up!", I said. By this time, he's looking at me with that peculiar look that I've become fairly accustomed too over the many years of our marriage. Anyway. He backed the car up. There...off to my right... "The Fabled Giant Puff Ball"....A Myth...OK...it exists but a thing so rare that I've never actually seen one in person. Three! My husband was poo-poo'ing this siting...almost as rare as a Big Foot siting, at least here in Wisconsin. Despite his obviously negative attitude, I exited the car and braved the blackberry thorns (I was wearing shorts and did major scratch damage to my legs) to check out these wondrous mounds of white. "It's just rocks!", claimed my hubby, from the safety of the car. Hah! I was right! Giant Puff Balls. Huge! Each one (there were three), larger than my son's basketball. I delicately gathered each into my waiting arms. Actually, it was kind of hard to do this because they were so huge and I must have looked like, and certainly felt a bit like a juggler juggling three basketballs. As it is, I broke one of these giant puff balls as I struggled back to the car. No matter, a broken puff ball tastes just fine. I brought them back to the car and....my husband said, "You aren't actually thinking of bringing them inside this car, are you?" *sigh* He's got a cold. Forgive him. "Just leave them on the side of the drive and we'll pick them when we get back from the city.", he said. No way! No how! This was like telling me that there's be no reason to take that picture of Big Foot and that Big Foot would still be there when we got back. So....I loaded my treasure into the car and HTP turned the car around in our drive so that I could store my "legend" back in the kitchen of our house.

Have you all ever had a chance to eat a bit, a bite, of legend? I've got pictures. I made HTP take pictures. I brought one of the giant puff balls over to my Mom. The last time she'd seen a giant puff ball was when she was in high school. We won't go into how many years have come and gone since then. And...she tells me that the giant puff balls that she and her Dad (my grandpa) had seen at that time were not nearly as big as these! There is a reason that I took pictures. A rare site, this may be my last opportunity to see such a thing. I gather puff balls here to enjoy but none of the regular puff balls are bigger in diameter than a fifty-cent piece, most measure closer to a quarter. As HTP and I were heading back to the house, I noted even more giant puff balls on the other side of our driveway. I harvested two of these after HTP and I returned from shopping in the city.

I eagerly called my Mom to report this wondrous find. I loaded one of the large puff balls and two of the smaller puff balls into the Sidekick to take over to my folks' place so they and my sister could share in this bounty. As I was driving down their 3/4 mile driveway, a glimpse of white hit my eye. No way! I stopped my car and went to investigate. Sure enough. More giant puff balls. I harvested two of the three, leaving one to "ripen" and maybe produce at some future generation, more giant puff balls. I gave my sister three giant puff balls (smaller...but as large as honeydew melons). I gave my Mom one of those smaller ones and another that was bigger than a basketball. Me?

I kept two of the basketball-sized giant puff balls (one broken) to fry up....to freeze and nibble a bit for supper last night. HTP won't eat anything that doesn't come wrapped in cellophane at the grocery store...well...OK...that wasn't nice. He does eat fish that we catch in the lake. Anyway, I've never understood how anyone can turn down a bite of legend. *sigh*

Anyway, there I was with two huge Giant puff balls. How does one cook a legend? I mean...there aren't any recipes for this sort of thing. Roasted Unicorn? OK...I figured it out. Butter. Garlic. A bit of salt and fresh ground pepper. I'm telling you that I've NEVER had anything near as wonderful as this! I had to quarter these huge puff balls and then slice and slice again and I could only cook a quarter of each of these puff balls at one time in my largest frying pan. I cooked them is Wisconsin butter with garlic with fresh ground pepper. How can I describe this? Every morsel melted in your mouth. Really! I mean...do you like mushrooms? You don't? Well, this didn't taste like mushrooms. It tasted like...I can't tell you what it tasted like because I've never had it before even though I've had puff balls before... but not GIANT PUFF BALLS. Wonderful! There's no description! I really feel like I've eaten a legend. Please note that I left a single giant puff ball in each clump so that spoors could develop and hopefully be fruitfull and propagate. I'm going to keep the locations of these giant puff balls recorded in my mind. I'll have to check back next year at around this time. I may even check back in a couple days to see if any new giant puff balls have decided to offer themselves up to my culinary expertise.

Murphyism of the Day

Dale's Parking Postulate

If only two cars are left in a parking lot, one will be blocking the other.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

There is no Them, there is only Us. Some of Us think this or some of Us think that, but we're all Us. -- Lisa Williams

Student Walker - November 12, 1979

Word of the Day

Cranial flatulation - Condition of the brain to cease functioning mid-sentence, frequently occurring during important meetings where one must impress others, leaving the user of said brain with a blank stare.

No need to panic. Just because an end date has been decided doesn't mean that I need to start panicking. Besides....nothing has been engraved into stone as yet. The thing is that our weather is going to be turning decidedly cooler by next week...maybe even starting tomorrow, with highs reaching only into the lower 60's. It's time to recognize that my garden is not going to be able to produce much more this year. I already am noting that my tomato plants aren't really producing fruit anymore, though it looks like I'll be getting a few more zucchini and more beans. I won't even go into how many eggplant I've got out in my Earthboxes.

I used two of my eggplants and a handfull of green tomatoes (stolen from my garden) to start a batch of Italian eggplant/green tomato pickles. Last night I peeled and sliced and salted everything down and I just need to wait until tomorrow to continue on with the process. The eggplant and green tomatoes need to sit for at least 24 hours before I can drain them and finish up making the pickles. I suppose I could make them after supper but I'm not sure if I want to deal with a mess that late in the evening. These pickles are preserved in olive oil after a mere 3 minute soak in a boiling vinegar/water solution, which ends up being drained off before adding the remaining ingredients (olive oil, GARLIC, and hot pepper flakes). In the past, I've waterbath canned them and the olive oil seeps out EVERYWHERE. I'm actually thinking of skipping the canning process this time since I think these pickles will be eaten almost right away instead of stored on a shelf/preserved. We'll see. I'll probably end up having to make at least on more batch of these pickles in a few weeks when I put my garden to bed.

I'd rather make some piccalilli relish from my green tomatoes this fall. For some reason, I brought all my homemade relish to Arizona with me last fall. I suppose I'll have to wait until I see how many green tomatoes are left out there. Maybe my Mom will have some and we can combine and share our relish. I love this green tomato piccalilli relish. HTP's not fond of it but HE likes that awful sweet pickle relish that you buy in the store. YUCKO! Oh well...no accounting for taste. I end up buying mass quantities of that stuff and re-canning it into smaller, more manageable jars.

It looks like we might be getting some rain later tonight. Maybe. I hope. This summer has been exceptionally dry. Read drought. While I don't really mind doing the sprinkler dance (ok...I'm lying...I hate it), it really isn't something that I like doing on a regular basis. I did manage to keep my lawn and gardens watered but there wasn't much that I could do with the surrounding acres of forest. Sadly, my wild blackberries suffered to the extent that there will be no blackberry wine for Sis and me to make in the spring. Maybe next summer. Of course, Sis and I did make lots of other types of wine so at the end of the month we're going to be spending a great deal of time bottling our product. I'm guessing that we'll have to make another trip out to the wine shop for more bottles and corks.

Murphyism of the Day

Greib's Fightening Thought

Eighty percent of all people consider themselves to be above average drivers.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.

-- Aristotle

A View of The Lake - Fall 2006

Word of the Day

Crackerslacker - The crackers that are found under the aluminum or plastic pouch when one finishes a package.

I'm considering making some simple syrup for liqueur making. I made three bottles of my strawberry liqueur the other day. I think I'll bring one of those bottles to HTP's folks this weekend when we go see them. The reason that I'm thinking of making more syrup is so I can make some wild raspberry liqueur to bring along as well. I think HTP's Mom would prefer a nice sip of liqueur at night versus my sugarfree jam....even though...my sugarfree jams are terrific. Aside from liqueur making, I'm thinking of making some Italian eggplant/green tomato pickles. I know Tom's Mom loves them. Actually, I know that HTP loves them. And it's not like I don't have eggplant to spare for the project. I'll get started on this project tomorrow. It always takes a couple of days...at least.

Murphyism of the Day

Benedict's Law of Carpooling

As soon as you switch to the carpool lane, the other lanes of traffic speed up.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Nature magically suits a man to his fortunes, by making them the fruit of his character. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Salut! - 2007

Word of the Day

Craptacular - Astoundingly piss-poor. Really awful, and particularly less than impressive.

OK. It has come to my attention that I have not given credit where credit is due for a while. This is a journal of sorts and where I do cite my sources on occasion, I am plead guilty of not citing my sources more than once a year. Occasionally, as a former teacher and a person who lives in fear of having someone proclaim her a "plagiarist", I will add a foot-note to my blog (not for profit blog) to give credit for my non-original entries. I do not think up these "Word of the Day" entries or "Murphyism" entries whole-cloth on my own, I don't grab them out of thin air, I'm just not that original...well...OK...a few of them are my own but 99.9% come for elsewhere. I have given credit to where I've found them but...not in every single blog. So....here we go...I'll find myself feeling guilty and citing my credits again next year about this time...maybe sooner. I have found some of my "Word of the Day" entries from Witwords and some from Unwords.com. I've found most of my Murphyisms (99.9%) from a wonderful book, authored by Arthur Bloch. He's written several but the one I'm reading (bought and paid for) in a wonderful book called, Murphy's Law 25/6th Anniversary Edition. I love it and recommend it. It's seems like the author reads my thoughts. I, on occasion, have found that I can add numerous of my own "corollaries" to these wonderful Murphyisms but...for the most part, they are what they are...Murphyisms. Thank you Arthur Bloch. Ummm...who else do I...Oh yes, I find endless wonder in the "Noteworthy Quotes of the Day" that I've found in this Random Quotes Page. If I have not given credit where credit is due, I beg forgiveness. Sometimes, I encounter quotes and words from sources where the site has failed to give credit. I don't always know where to direct the credit outside of the source where I have found genius and on top of this, anonymous is kind of hard to find. However, when I do finally find "genius" in which to give credit where credit is due, I feel , honor-bound to give it. Thank you very much, Jonathan Caws-Elwitt, for the Word of the Day that I used on August 23rd, 2006. "Sharetrek - Generic Star Trek-style science fiction that comes as close as it can to Star Trek without infringing any copyrights." I'm a true Star-Trek fan...the "Original" episodes. Dare I admit that my heart trembled and giggled a bit whenever Spock spoke?...oh, my poor adolescent heart. My favorite episode remains, "The Trouble with Tribbles".

Now...onto the mundane. Today is Tuesday. I did laundry. Oh...and I lost myself in the latest book by Christine Feehan. *sigh* I have yet to understand how I can't seem to sit down with the full intentions of reading "just a chapter" from a good book without finding myself unable to do ANYTHING until said book has been read from cover to cover. My children (thank goodness that they've all managed to grow to maturity and have since flown/escaped the coop/nest) and my husband (poor starving soul), all can find themselves starving as I lose myself within the covers of a good book. I lose all sense of time and dimension as I find myself transported in said time and distance when it comes to a good book. I'll go down and fold that last load of laundry after I finish this blog.

Murphyism of the Day

Hyman's Highway Hypothesis

The shortest distance between two points is usually under construction.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Stuffed deer heads on walls are bad enough, but it's worse when they are wearing dark glasses and have streamers in their antlers because then you know they were enjoying themselves at a party when they were shot. -- Ellen DeGeneres

Putting in the Dock - Spring 2007...we'll be having to reverse this process in a few weeks *sigh*

Word of the Day

Crabbit - A furry crustacean characterized by fluffy long ears and menacing-looking pincers.

We're home! And why we left to go to Laughlin....well...I know why but let us just say that there is no "free" flights to Laughlin. Oh well...I didn't lose all that much at the casino. And it was a break from the day to day life here at The Lake. Nonetheless, once again I have had my opinion of Laughlin reinforced. I prefer Las Vegas. And above all else? There's just no place like home.

Since getting back home, I've picked the tomatoes and more beans than HTP and I could possibly eat in one meal. I canned one quart of beans and left the rest to eat with our supper tonight. We're going to be eating a lot of zucchini in the coming days as well. I can't can that...unless....I probably could make some zucchini bread. That I can freeze.

I refuse to dwell on the fact that HTP and I will only be here at The Lake for one month before we return to Arizona. Arizona is home for us too but I will miss the peace and quiet up here at The Lake. I've got a long list of things that need doing before we can hit the road.

I still have hummingbird feeders outside on the deck. I plan to leave the ones with nectar out until the remaining hummingbirds empty them for me. The rest, I'll bring inside to clean and store for the winter. Today is Labor Day and the last day that they recommend feeding the hummingbirds. The hummingbirds need to start flying south for the winter and they won't go while I'm still providing them with a free lunch.

Murphyism of the Day

Rob's Lament

As soon as you become familiar with all the shortcuts and secret parking places in town, you will be transferred to a different town.


Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery. -- Malcolm X

Mama Snapping Turtle - June 2007


Baby Snapping Turtle On the Run - August 2007


A Helping Hand - August 2007


Baby Snapping Turtle a Second Before Diving Off the Dock and Swimming for Cover - August 2007


Word of the Day

Cowversation - A topic one continues to milk over and over because they've run out of other things to say.

I've been spending the morning packing. HTP and I will be leaving for Laughlin at such an early hour tomorrow morning that we plan to take our dog Muggsy over to my folks' place this afternoon. We've got to make a run into the city this afternoon to pick up a few things after that but I plan to see if I can get to bed early tonight...maybe right after supper. We'll have to see how well that works. I never sleep well. It's hard to turn off and shut down my mind at night, even when I'm exhausted and then if my "restless" legs decide to act up, that's a sure as heckfire guarantee that I won't get to sleep. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my legs will co-operate.

We've decided to bring our laptop with us this trip. I'm not sure if I'll actually be able to use it or not. So...if you don't see a new blog entry between this one and Monday...don't worry too much. HTP and I will be back on Sunday but chances are I won't find the time to blog until Monday.

It's a beautiful day today here at The Lake. I hear that Laughlin is experiencing record high temperatures. I don't like wearing shorts in public but I'm packing some this time. Sleeveless shirts too. And a sweater. Casinos tend to zoop up the AC and everyone ends up freezing to death.

*****

The turtles are hatching, the turtles are hatching. I went out to walk the dog and there at my feet was a little baby snapping turtle.

Murphyism of the Day

Randall's Law of Automotives

The flat doesn't occur until the day after the tire sale.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Pain makes man think. Thought makes man wise. Wisdom makes life endurable.

-- John Patrick

A Sequence of Events?


The Women Cleaning Fish - Summer 2007


Ummmmm.....What's Willie Doing? - Summer 2007

Word of the Day

Corporashun - Any variation on a company or product name created with the intent to mock or shun it.

We got rain! Over an inch. Woohoo! I won't have to do the sprinkler dance before HTP and I go to Laughlin. It looks like we may end up getting more rain today sometime. Our rain last night came with a truly spectacular light and sound display. HTP swears that some tree out in our woods got struck but with so many trees in the forest, he can't actually point out the specific tree. All I could think of was that age old quote, "If a tree falls in the forest and no-one is there to see it, does it make any sound?" All I know is that some of those "sounds" were pretty loud last night. Since HTP just left for the city to do some research at the library...and he hasn't turned around and come back as yet....I figure that our 1/2 mile driveway is clear of fallen trees. We've been lucky this year. No trees over the driveway. I think it's because HTP bought that gas powered chainsaw after we had to hire one of the local farmers to clear off the bunch of trees that fell over our driveway last summer. We now have a "never-been-used" chainsaw. I'm sure there is a Murphyism in this tale somewhere.

As promised, today is my day to clear off things from my mental list of things to do. Added to the list is the pressing need to wash my hair. There's no way that I can get on a plane with my hair making me look like a woman in a Most Wanted poster. Tomorrow? I plan to go into the city to see if I can find something to read while we're in Laughlin.

Murphyism of the Day

Cusak's Observation

The driver's-side windshield wiper always wears out first.

Corollary

The worst smear is at eye level.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The easiest thing in the world to be is you. The most difficult thing to be is what other people want you to be. Don't let them put you in that position.

-- Leo Buscaglia

Me and Mom Cleaning Fish at The Lake - Summer 2007

Word of the Day

Conversate - To make conversation. An uncommon phrase used to suggest the start of a conversation while making others believe one is smarter than they truly are.

Yet again I've changed the world with all the things that I've accomplished in a single day.....NOT! This has been one of those days where I didn't feel like doing anything at all above working on Sudoku puzzles, walking the dog, and basic subsistence tasks. Does this mean that I have nothing on my mental list of things to do? Heck, no! I've got lots of things that need doing on my mental list. I chose to ignore my mental list, sticking my fingers (figuratively) in my ears to muffle the sound of my guilt complex which always seems to want to lecture me. I'll work on my mental list tomorrow. My guilt complex can just shut up for one day.

Murphyism of the Day

Firmage's Rule of Auto Repair

That which is attached with only two bolts is directly behind something attached with eight.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist. -- Indira Gandhi

Bald Eagle at The Lake - Picture taken by T-Square, Spring 2003

Word of the Day

Convercide - The act of killing of a conversation with a terrible comment.

The eagles have landed. Actually, the fledgling eagles have left their nest and are learning to fly, land, and hunt. As I type this, I'm listening to their distinctive screeing calls. I did take a picture of the one that landed in the old oak tree that stands by our deck but my camera just doesn't have that kind of telephoto abilities. It's hard to judge from my photo the size of these huge birds. It's a really big and tall oak tree. I'll have to walk our dog Muggsy on leash for a while. I don't trust that the fledglings will care that Muggsy is a little dog and not something tasty to eat.

I played Wii again yesterday. #1 Son brought his game up to The Lake and tells me that I can keep it up here and even take it back to Arizona when we return to warmer climes. A couple of his room-mates already have the Wii game and #1 Son figured that there was no point in redundancy. I had fun beating everyone in bowling and I got a bit of a workout from tennis and baseball. #1 Son set up the game so that it'll be easy for me to play whenever I'd like. Hopefully, it will help me to lose some weight. We'll have to see. I wonder if I can get my Mom or sister over here to bowl with me?

MC Daughter cooked supper last night. Steaks on the grill, corn on the cob, salad. Wonderful. We had cake and ice cream for dessert. I had one ear of corn, only a third of my steak, and all of my salad. I did have some ice cream but no cake so I figure I'm haven't dug myself too far into a grave with my teeth. You just can't diet all the time. And guess what? I don't plan to diet at all when I'm in Laughlin.

Laughlin? HTP and I are leaving for Laughlin at 0Dark:30 on Thursday. Warning. I don't plan to blog while we're in Laughlin...unless HTP pays the $10/day internet charge at our hotel while we're there. The rules for dial-up at the hotel where we plan to stay would make using the dial-up modem prohibitive...unless things have changed since the last time we were there a year ago. I'll have to practice my video poker before we go. I'm ahead of myself. We won't be leaving until early Thursday morning. I've got lots to do between now and then.

Murphyism of the Day

Lorenz's Law of Mechanical Repair

After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

She used to drag her mattress beside her low window and lie awake for a long while, vibrating with excitement, as a machine vibrates from speed. Life rushed in upon her through that window - or so it seemed. In reality, of course, life rushes from within, not from without. There is no work of art so big or so beautiful that is was not once all contained in some youthful body, like this one which lay on the floor in the moonlight, pulsing with ardor and anticipation. -- Willa Cather

Willie Showing Off the Powers of His Shirt - Summer 2007

Word of the Day

Contradick - One who gainsays another person (contradicts them) primarily to make them look foolish, unwise, uncool, or otherwise bad.

Oh, what a beautiful morning, Oh, what a beautiful day....

It's absolutely beautiful outside today. Blue skies, weather in the mid-70's, sunny, a light breeze. Perfect. It's weather like this that draws people to the coastal areas of California. I get all the benefits of California weather AND I get to stay right here at The Lake without having to deal with all the California fruits and nuts. I only have to deal with the weekenders. I can handle that.

I finished whittling my bamboo skewers (the ones that I bought to use in my knife box) down to size. I figured that I would need ten packages of bamboo skewers to fill my new knife box. I probably could have used another package or two but it's working as is for right now. I may pick up another package or two the next time I go to the city. As is, I love it. No more risking major cuts from rummaging in the drawer for my knives and they aren't getting all dull from clanging against each other.

Murphyism of the Day

Femo's Law of Automotive Engine Repairing

If you drop something, it will never reach the ground.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Do something every day that you don't want to do; this is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain. -- Mark Twain

Old Grey Frog, T-Square (Dad), Mom, Willie, and Sis - Summer 2007

Word of the Day

Contotally - Completely and totally. A contraction of totally and completely.

The most that I've done today was vacuum the house. After that, I picked up a book and read the whole thing. There is a reason that I try to avoid picking up books. The reason is that I have this weird addiction to them. If I let myself sit down to read one, that's it for the rest of the day...or until the book has been read cover to cover. Fortunately...or unfortunately...depending upon how you look at these things, I read really fast. Really fast! I picked up that book after lunch and had consumed it before HTP and I left to go shopping in the city. Good book. Sis didn't seem to like it but it was good. I may look to see what else that author has written.

My Dad made me a really beautiful knife box. I'd seen one like it on a TV show and asked him if he could make something like it for me. He could and he did. As I said, it's beautiful and I'm eager to put it to good use. All I have to do is fill that box with bamboo skewers. I'm working on that project right now. I found some bamboo skewers today when I was in the city. They seem to be about 1/4 - 1/2 inch too long for my new box. So, I've been nipping off that 1/4 -1/2 inch for each and every bamboo skewer. I think I'm about half-way there. I'll work on the project some more tomorrow morning.

I've got company coming. MC Daughter and D Buddy are coming to visit along with one of their Arizona friends. I got a call from #1 Son just now and he's coming up to see us too. We're going to have a full house this weekend. Love it. Good thing that I bought six t-bone steaks when I was at the grocery store today. Maybe I'll see if they can pick up some fresh corn to go with the steaks for tomorrow night. Or...maybe they'll decide that they all want a fish fry or hot dogs. I'm open to whatever they decide that they want to have. Time to put some beer in the fridge to chill.

Murphyism of the Day

Bromberg's Laws of Automotive Repair

1. When the need arises, any tool or object closest to you becomes a hammer.

2. No matter how minor the task, you will inevitably end up covered with grease and motor oil.

3. When necessary, metric and inch tools can be used interchangeably.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Fear is a question: What are you afraid of, and why? Just as the seed of health is in illness, because illness contains information, your fears are a treasure house of self-knowledge if you explore them. -- Marilyn Ferguson

Woody the Woodpecker at The Lake - Summer 2???

Word of the Day

Confuzzled - Being both confused and puzzled; clueless or unclear.

Remember the old cartoon Woody the Woodpecker? I think the woodpecker in that cartoon was based on the pileated woodpecker that we have here at The Lake. This bird is pretty big and looks prehistoric...in my humble opinion. We don't see them too often as they're pretty shy. Mostly, we only know that they're here because you can hear them. I haven't seen one all summer though my Mom and Dad have told me that they've seen them this summer. I got my first sighting this afternoon. Unfortunately, this first sighting...and second...caused me to run out onto my deck to chase Woody away instead of admire him up close and maybe take a photo or two. For some reason (no, I don't have bugs in my deck) Woody decided to attack the railing on my deck this afternoon. I just had that railing stained this summer! Dagnabbitall! Before I could chase him/her away, Woody had managed to remove a one inch sliver of wood from the railing on my deck. Grrrrr!!!!! And then, after chasing him away (something I wouldn't have done if he hadn't been destroying property), he came back and decided to have a go at another stretch of railing. So, I had to run out (in the rain) and chase Woody away yet again. I love pileated woodpeckers but I have a whole forest of trees surrounding my house for him/her to poke holes into, he doesn't need to poke holes into my house.

Rain? Actually, it's not really "raining" outside today. It's misting and drizzling. We received .04 inches of rain last night. My electronic rain gauge hasn't measured any of the misting and drizzle that we've received so far today. I'm not sure if this is because the precipitation is hitting the sensors so lightly or what. Regardless, we've got some rain and maybe I won't have to sprinkler dance for the rest of the month.

I'm dedicating today's Murphyism to MC Daughter and D Buddy who (knock on wood, knock on wood, knock on wood)have finally managed to get their car up and running after having weeks and months of problems with it.

Murphyism of the Day

Campbell's Laws of Automotive Repair

1. If you can get to the faulty part, you don't have the tool to get it off.

2. If you can get the part off, the parts house will have it back-ordered.

3. If it's in stock, it didn't need replacing in the first place.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.

-- Charles Mackay

Old Grey Frog Caught a Really Big Bass (This is not a picture of it) - Summer 2007

Word of the Day

Conflustered - Describing a situation when one is so confused that they get flustered.

I finished up yesterday's laundry this morning. Well....I still have a load of sheets in the dryer but I don't need to make the bed in the guest room immediately. I'm putting off that chore for tomorrow. Lazy me. Instead, I went out to the garden and picked my beans, ripe tomatoes, ripe cucumbers, and ripe zucchini. I've since snipped and cleaned the beans. I'm thinking of serving them with supper tonight but I may end up making zucchini instead. I suppose I'll just have to wait until supper and go with my mood of the moment.

I've been playing with Outlook Office on my computer. I wanted a calendar. It's taking a bit to figure out what is what. I think I've finally managed to enter all the birthdays and anniversaries into my "calendar". I hate learning new things but I also hate forgetting peoples' birthdays and anniversaries so I'm going to try to learn this something new. This something new is already starting to bug me a bit because things that used to work in Outlook Express, don't work so good in Outlook Office and then I have to figure out how to make it work like Outlook Express...or reasonably the same as Outlook Express. I'm a college graduate. I think I can do this. Maybe.

Murphyism of the Day

Humphries's Law of Bicycling

The shortest route has the steepest hills.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Behind every great fortune there is a crime. -- Honore de Balzac

Happy Birthday HTP! - August 19??

Word of the Day

Confirmative - Describing a meeting or other action used to affirm one's confirmation.


Happy


Birthday



HTP!



It's HTP's birthday today. I made him a full (non-diet) breakfast. I also plan to make him a full (non-diet) dinner. We'll skip the lunch today. I'm going to make a cake in a bit too. I have to wait until the dishwasher repair person fixes our new dishwasher. The dishwasher works but the motor is REALLY noisy. He's replacing the motor. If that doesn't fix the noise, I'm not sure what the next step will be. Replacing the entire dishwasher? We'll see. Other than the noise, I really do like the dishwasher. It's the same dishwasher that we have in Arizona and that dishwasher is so quiet I sometimes don't know that it's running. So? I have no idea why this dishwasher makes so much noise except GE apparently decided to use a different manufacturer for the motor that they put in THIS dishwasher. A cheaper motor. A noisier motor. Thanks GE. I find a dishwasher that I like and then you decide to save money and screw the customer.

Anyway.....



Happy


Birthday



HTP!


Murphyism of the Day

Law of Bicycling

No matter which way you ride, it's uphill and against the wind.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Diplomacy is the art of knowing what not to say.

Matthew Trump

Old Grey Frog and Ms En.- August 17, 2007

Auntie Tee(AKA MC Daughter) and Uncle Davey (AKA #1 Son) with Ms. En - August 18, 2007

Word of the Day

Configurate - To configure.

We're Home! HTP and I decided to head back to The Lake yesterday afternoon after seeing DD Daughter and GI Joe back at their apartment. Although I'm sure it would have been nice to stay longer, I could see that it was time for DD Daughter and GI Joe to have time on their own to settle into parenthood. Little Ms. En looked very content in her swing. Such a cute little baby. DD Daughter and GI Joe promised to bring her to see us here at The Lake sometime before HTP and I have to close up and head back to Arizona in the fall. I know that HTP's Mom is eager to get her arms around Ms. En. Me too.

HTP and I got home at around midnight. The driving weather wasn't the best. Rain was coming down so hard that people were pulling off the road. At least we didn't get any hail. It sounds like #1 Son and MC Daughter (who left Omaha in #1 Son's car about an hour earlier than us) ran into the rain and weren't so lucky. #1 Son's windshield wipers decided to quit. From what I understand, a fuse blew and they had to pull over and replace it. At this point, both #1 Son and MC Daughter were soaked and had to stop at the nearest gas station to change clothes. This will be one of those adventures that they'll remember and talk about in the years to come.

Before HTP and I left on Friday, I noted that all four of my hummingbird feeders were full and so was my one oriole feeder. We weren't gone all that long. They're empty. Sucked dry. I can't believe it. I just cooked up a huge batch of hummingbird nectar and will refill the feeders as soon as it cools.

I also noted that we got almost an inch of rain here at The Lake while we were gone. Now I don't feel so bad about that unfinished part of the sprinkler dance. Everything is plenty wet. It's still overcast today. Dreary. I'm not complaining. Maybe by the end of the week my kids will be able to have their fireworks display after all.

Murphyism of the Day

Jean's Law of Automotives

Any car utilized as a "backup" car breaks down just after the primary car breaks down.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Television news is like a lightning flash. It makes a loud noise, lights up everything around it, leaves everything else in darkness and then is suddenly gone.

-- Hodding Carter

Welcome Ms. En

DD Daughter introduced us to our first Grandbaby at around 5:30 PM. Ms. En. She's a beautiful baby. By the time HTP and I arrived at the hospital, Ms. En was already enjoying cuddling up to her Mama. We'll be getting to know her a bit better tomorrow and Sunday. I suspect that there will be a few more pictures taken in the coming days. The flashing of all the cameras didn't seem to bother her.

No Blogs for a little bit. My Grand-daughter is eager to meet the world. HTP and I are going to be heading off to greet her. I'll blog when I get back to The Lake.

Word of the Day

Condimentize - The act of applying any form of condiment to a food product.

All my bags are packed and I'm ready to go....but....our Grand-daughter-to-be has decided that she's happy where she is for right now and is content to remain until further notice. I'm keeping my bags packed but it looks like we'll just have to be patient a bit longer. If Ms. En decides to come earlier than that, I'm already packed.

We had dinner at Sis' place last night and watched a DVD afterwards. Night at the Museum. Willie's girls had seen it before but decided that they liked it so much that they wanted to see it again. Third time for me, but I didn't mind seeing it for the first time through my parents' eyes and Sis' eyes. However, it sure is hard not to start laughing before the punchline when you've seen a movie before.

Plans for the day include sprinkler dancing. The bountiful rain of the other day missed us yet again. We received a total of 1/8 inch of rain. I've warned my children that we can't have any bonfires or fireworks with the woods as dry as it is right now. Aside from sprinkler dancing, I think Sis, Willie, and I plan to go out fishing. Our goal is to get enough bluegill to make smoked fish. We all love smoked bluegill.

Murphyism of the Day

Grown Child's Lament

Mother said there would be days like this, but she never said there would be so many.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

We have been taught to believe that negative equals realistic and positive equals unrealistic. -- Susan Jeffers

DD Daughter - June 2007

Word of the Day

Concretenate - To transmute into concrete.

Hey Mikey! HTP liked the Cheesy Eggplant dish that I made for supper last night. I've got two more eggplant that need using. They'll have to wait a bit longer to be used in my next experiment. I've got a roast that's thawed and I'm craving meat. But not tonight... Tonight we're going over to my sister's place for a family get-together. Willie and his family are here for the week. It isn't too often that we have an opportunity to gather as a family. Such opportunities are cherished.

Fruit of the Vine. Sis and I racked our wine experiments today. We combined the two batches of rhubarb wine into one big batch. We added more sugar to the batch of gooseberry wine and decided that next year we're going to try using fully ripe gooseberries....though we both agreed that the gooseberry wine is going to be excellent as is. We also added sugar to the currant wine. We'll leave things as is and rack and bottle at the end of September or the beginning of October.

******

Just got a call from DD Daughter. I may not be blogging for a bit. HTP and I are waiting for further word but it looks like we might be heading off tomorrow morning to meet our first Grand-daughter.

Murphyism of the Day

Barbara's Law

Never say "wow" with food in your mouth.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

My personal hobbies are reading, listening to music, and silence.

--Edith Sitwell

Hungry Hummingbirds - Summer 2007

Word of the Day

Concoctuous - Behaving immaturely or foolishly. Also: concoctuously

I found homes for five of my eggplant. That left me with only four. Nine minus five equals four. I salted down two eggplant last night and am making a recipe that I found on the Internet called Cheesy Eggplant. It sounds a bit like Eggplant Parmesan only healthier. I'll keep you posted. I'm afraid that HTP isn't going to like it too much. No meat. Plus...it has a whole bag of fresh spinach in it. Healthy. We're going to have a meatless meal. Maybe I should throw some meat into our side salad.

I did the laundry today. But first, I had to clean up the mess in the laundry room. Someone moved the dehumidifier. In and of itself, that wouldn't have been a bad thing. Only....the hose that was supposed to be in the sink so that water sucked from the air would drain into said sink, wasn't in the sink anymore. It was laying on top of the counter. I had water all over the counter and soaked into the rug on the floor. Oh well...that's what towels are for. I fixed it. Only, the boxes that hold the battery re-chargers that HTP keeps on that same counter...they got kind of wet.

Between the hummingbirds and the orioles, I've been going through a lot of sugar this summer. I no sooner fill one feeder than I have to refill two more. I just noted that the oriole feeder is empty again. *sigh* My father tells me that he's experiencing the same population explosion at his place. Only one more month of this. I'm told that I should bring my feeders in after Labor Day.

Murphyism of the Day

Isaac's Strange Rule of Staleness

Any food that starts out hard will soften when stale. Any food that starts out soft will harden when stale.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

If computers get too powerful, we can organize them into a committee -- that will do them in. -- Bradley's Bromide

Wood Duck Family as Viewed from Our Dock - Summer 2007

Word of the Day

Conastrous - Having the nature of a conaster (see Word of the Day from yesterday's blog), causing great relief. Antonym to disastrous.

It's a beautiful day today. They're predicting rain for tonight so I'm going to put off my sprinkler dance for a while. Actually, this is due to pure laziness rather than my actual belief that we might get some rain. Since I just picked everything that I plan to pick from my garden for the day, I'll probably water the garden. Watering the garden doesn't come under the definition of sprinkler dancing.

I picked a handful of beans but it looks like more will be coming later this week and next. I've got blossoms and I don't see any evidence of rodent nibbling, except for that one green tomato which looks like something was gnawing on it. I also picked some mutant cucumbers and dug up some of the onions to make cucumber salad. And then I picked the Italian peppers. I'm going to fry them up with some onion. Eat some...freeze some. I picked the ripe tomatoes. I'll probably have to start thinking of canning them. Aside from that, I picked nine eggplant from my Earthboxes. I'll probably see if I can gift some to my Mom and my sister. I have no idea what I'm going to do with so many eggplant despite the recipes that I've found online. I've got more eggplant coming. Plenty to make my Italian Green Tomato and Eggplant Pickles this fall.

I'd hoped to go out hiking this afternoon. I may still find the energy. It's starting to get a bit humid outside but nothing like last week.

Murphyism of the Day

Langfield's Law of Gastronomy

The discovery of a new dish is more beneficial to humanity than the discovery of a new star.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is "thank you," that would suffice. -- Meister Eckhart

Frogs in My Viola Garden - Summer 2007

Word of the Day

Conaster - With star, antonym to disaster. The fortunate outcome of an almost imminent disaster; the sensation of a catastrophe narrowly averted and later remembered from the vantage point of safety.

HTP and I took #1 Son out to eat for breakfast. Another opportunity to over-indulge on calories. To make up for all the caloric intake, HTP and I are skipping lunch and supper. After our Sunday brunch, we wore off a few calories when we took #1 Son shopping for some new clothes. He mentioned that all his socks are getting holey and that he really didn't have more than a couple of outfits that were appropriate for his job. JC Penney's was having a really good sale (Back to School Sale), so we took advantage of it. The sale was so good that beside the jeans, pants, shirts, etc. that we got for #1 Son, I bought three new pairs of jeans for me. Men's jeans.

Men's jeans? I've given up on buying women's jeans. I have a really long waist-line. Combined with a really long inseam, I have a hard time finding jeans that actually fit AND that I can afford. Today, I actually found three pair of jeans and I paid less than half of what it would have cost me to buy one pair of the women's jeans that fit me. I'm tired of all these low-rise jeans! I hate these styles. When you're as long-waisted as I am, low-rise jeans end up REALLY low. And then, I get to choose between three lengths. Petite, Average, and Tall. Petite...well...forget it. I stopped being petite in the fourth grade. Average is too short before I wash them. Tall? My legs aren't THAT long. I've already told you how phobic I am around sewing machines and jeans are kind of hard to hem by hand. When I did finally find some women's jeans that fit me, they ended up costing anywhere from $75 - $100...or more. Plus, these women's jeans just aren't designed to last all that long...at least...not the kind of punishment that I tend to put them through. So? I finally gave up today and bought three pairs of men's jeans. Levi's. 501 & 517 . It took me a while to figure out the sizing but the lady who was guarding the women's fitting room didn't seem to mind me trying on all those jeans today. I knew my approximate size but I wasn't too sure of the inseam thing. 30" was too short. I went up to a 31" but that still wasn't quite right. 32" was just right. Even pre-shrunk jeans tend to shrink a bit...or is that shrinkage thing another women's jeans problem?

But you want to know another nice thing? Once I did finally figure out my size, the jeans all fit consistently. I think it's because men never like to try anything on. They enter the store of their choosing. They go directly to any rack in the men's department. They grab their size and they're out of there. Bam! And me? When I finally figured out the sizing, I was able to grab my size off the rack and check out. Outta there. Bam! Woohoo! Love it. Oh...and the zippers are heavier duty on men's jeans than women's jeans too. Bonus. Another bonus? No more hemming. Men's jeans come in an incredible variety of inseam lengths. I guess men have sewing machine phobias too.

Murphyism of the Day

Murphy's Tenth Law of Food

Coupons always expire before you have a chance to use them.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Life is a foreign language; all men mispronounce it. -- Christopher Morley

#1 Son on his 21st Birthday - May 2007

Word of the Day

Compulsive slowpokyist - Any person who, while driving or walking, perhaps on a highway or in a mall, hurries up to get in front of others, but then travels really slow.

Oh, my aching back. I've been bowling. And then, not satisfied to stop there, I played tennis. And then, I decided to play baseball! I'm pooped.

#1 Son brought home his Wii game and we've been having fun. I'm done in. Of course, I threw myself into the games.

I'm glad that I did the sprinkler dance yesterday. We did get some rain last night but .12 inches of rain is not nearly enough. We are supposed to get more rain tonight but....I doubt it. I'll probably have to resume my sprinkler dance tomorrow.

Murphyism of the Day

Murphy's Nineth Law of Food

Every item in the store will be on sale, except the items that you want.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

They sicken of the calm, who knew the storm. -- Dorothy Parker

HTP, MC Daughter, and DD Daughter - June 2007


Word of the Day

Compulsive away disorder - A deficiency affecting those obsessed with constantly reading away messages on one's favorite instant messenger service.

It's hot outside. Granted that my thermometer on the back deck always reads hotter than the one in the front of the house. Although the sensor is actually facing north, it gets the reflection of the windows and the deck is on the south side of the house. Having said all that, my deck temperature reads 102°F right now. Hot! I made the mistake one time of walking out on that deck with bare feet when it was almost that hot. I don't do that anymore. The temperature on the north side of the house in the shade is 86°F. Humidity? Oh, yea! It's humid outside. Are we going to get any rain? Maybe. Probably not. I'm doing the sprinkler/rain dance. We'll have to see. We really need the rain.

I cleaned the blackberries last night. Crushed, my blackberries measured 4 cups. I froze them. I'm not sure as yet what I plan to do with them. Jam? We'll see. I had hoped to get more blackberries so my sister and I could make some blackberry wine next spring. Sis and I will have to go berry picking again next week to see if we can get enough.

In the meantime, I caught another mouse in my garden, so.....

Five Chipmunks and Two Cute Little Teeny Tiny Brown Mice Have Been Deported to Doolittle Park and One Bunny Has Been Deported to the Next County

Murphyism of the Day

Murphy's Eighth Law of Food

If you make a list, the store will be out of the most important item.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Believe in life! Always human beings will live and progress to greater, broader and fuller life. -- W. E. B. Du Bois

Old Grey on the Logging Road - Summer 2002 (Not much has changed...even the outfit)

Word of the Day

Communification - The beautification of communication. To make communicating effective, pleasurable, and easy.

I promised myself that it was time to crack down, tighten my belt, put my foot down, and crack the whip when it comes to HTP and my diets. *sigh* After two days, I've already fallen off the diet wagon. I'd started out so good too. After a single serving of pancakes for breakfast (150 calories...200 if you count the margarine and sugarfree syrup), I checked the outside temperature and despite the meager amount of rain that we got that I knew would make the logging road just wet enough to make hiking unpleasant, despite the high humidity, I donned my hat, grabbed my berry bucket and hit the trail. I walked to the main highway and then back to the logging road and then followed the logging road to my folks' place. I'm not sure how many miles we're talking about but the hike to the main road is exactly 1/2 mile. The logging road? I have no idea. Two miles? Maybe more? I've never measured it. I have measured our driveway.

I picked what berries that I could find on my hike. The blackberries are still ripening. Some...are just gone. It actually looks like someone picked them. You could see where they were supposed to be but they were just gone. Oh well...I did get about two quarts of blackberries which I laid out on a flat pan after HTP brought me back home. What?! You thought I might have actually hiked back? NO WAY! I'm just happy my knees didn't act up on me.

At least...they didn't act up on me until HTP and I got done shopping. Shopping? HTP picked me up at my folks' place and was planning on taking me directly to the city to do some shopping. Do I need to tell you what I looked like after hiking in wet woods, along an old abandoned logging road for a couple of hours? My jeans were wet all the way up to my knees. Sweat? By the time I reached the 2/3 mark, I stopped calling the stuff that was dripping into my eyes the acceptable and lady-like "glow". Nope...I was sweating. And with the humidity as high as it was, my shirt and all my unmentionables were soaked. My canvas shoes were soaked. If I'd worn my hiking boots, my socks wouldn't have been soaked as well. In short, there was no way that I was going into the city looking like I was looking. HTP brought me back home and I changed...then we went into the city.

Of course, by this time, I was starving! It was around 1:30 PM. I should have insisted that we eat a small lunch before we left to go on our shopping trip. My will-power was low. We stopped and ate broasted chicken wings at Nancy's. Yummy broasted chicken wings....and a broasted potato. I only ate 3 1/2 chicken wings...does that redeem me? I ate the whole broasted potato. OK. I'm not going to eat supper, so maybe things aren't too off track. I'll do better tomorrow. I think I can resist the ice cream that we bought at the store if I drink a whole glass of iced tea. Actually, I'm still full from lunch and bedtime is in two hours.

Murphyism of the Day

Murphy's Seventh Law of Food

If you don't make a list, you will forget the most important item.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Here's a message to the new borns, waiting to breathe: if you believe then you can achieve. Just look at me, against all odds 'though life is hard, we carry on, livin' in the projects, broke with no lights on. To all the seeds that follow me- protect your essence, born with less, but you still precious. -- Tupac Amaru Shaku

Word of the Day

Commucapitalist - A political affiliation that crosses between a communist and a capitalist ideal. It is often used in describing the current state of Chinese society.

My finger is still sore but it's better. My hand is still somewhat swollen. There is no way that I could have removed my ring. It becomes more than apparent that I'm not a good hunt and peck typist. I kept getting antihistamine cream all over my keyboard.

I went over to my folks' place this morning. They were cleaning out their garage and wanted to know if my sister or I wanted any of the stuff they had set out for donation before they took it to St. Vincent's. I took some stuff for MC Daughter and D Buddy along with some stuff for me...or #1 Son. MC Daughter is going to need some more paint stripper. I saved a couple of chairs for her that match a child chair down in my basement...only these are adult chairs. They belonged to MC Daughter's Great-Grandma D.

I'd really like to go out blackberry picking again but I think I'll wait until my finger feels better.

I picked my first eggplant. Since it looks like I'm going to have LOTS of eggplant this year, I printed out LOTS of recipes. I'm waffling between making Mediterranean Chicken with Eggplant or Ziti and Eggplant or Eggplant Chips or Tater-Dipped Eggplant. I hate making decisions! They all sound great!

Murphyism of the Day

Murphy's Sixth Law of Food

Ovens either overcook or undercook. Microwave ovens overcook and undercook at the same time.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Too many of us look upon Americans as dollar chasers. This is a cruel libel, even if it is reiterated thoughtlessly by the Americans themselves.

-- Albert Einstein

Blog! That's it until my finger gets better. Stupid wasp! Never go out berry picking in the evening. If I'd seen the dang stupid wasp....I didn't and I'll be hunting and pecking with my right hand, trying to avoid touching the pad of my swollen ring finger to anything until it stops throbbing. Working the mouse is a bit of a challenge too.

Goodbye, Mr Chips! - Summer 2007


Word of the Day

Comfordable - That which is not only affordable but comfy as well.

Sprinkler Dancing. I should have been out there yesterday to water the lawn and the flower beds but I'm out there today. I tried to rig up the timer to the Earthboxes but found out that the length of hose that I bought from Walmart isn't going to work. Try as I could, I couldn't attach the hose to the hosebib. On closer inspection, I could see why it wasn't working. Somehow, the hose that I bought at Walmart had a dent in the male end of the hose. The dent was just big enough to prohibit me from using it. I dug out the receipt and will return it but now I can't have my Earthboxes on a timer...at least until I find another piece of hose. I think I've figured something out but it'll have to wait until I'm done with my sprinkler dancing today. I'll have to "borrow" the hose that I'm using for my sprinkler dance...temporarily...until I can get to the city to buy another bit of hose. My Earthboxes need to be watered every single day now. It must be because of all the developing fruit. I plan to set the timer so that it'll water the boxes for two minutes, once a day, every day. When I'm here, I can water the Earthboxes myself. I'm not going to be here.

I caught another chipmunk so.....

Five Chipmunks and One Cute Little Teeny Tiny Brown Mouse Have Been Deported to Doolittle Park and One Bunny Has Been Deported to the Next County

Murphyism of the Day

Murphy's Fifth Law of Food

Substitutions never taste right.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

I have a right to my anger, and I don't want anybody telling me I shouldn't be, that it's not nice to be, and that something's wrong with me because I get angry.

-- Maxine Waters

Night Frog - Summer 2007

Word of the Day

Comatoasty - Describing something in a lethargic or unconscious state of mind brought on by an large amounts of warmth. Often, this state is intensified by the use of blankets or by enjoying a large fire.

Nothing new to report. MC Daughter and D Buddy loaded more of their stuff from my basement into their truck and headed back to The Big City. Me? I should have watered the lawn and the garden again. I won $5 from MC Daughter because she bet me that it was going to rain. It didn't. I'd rather have not won that $5. Tomorrow it's back to dancing with sprinklers as soon as I can get myself moving.

I made another gallon of hummingbird nectar tonight. Two of my feeders need to be filled...again. Swarms of hummingbirds have been buzzing my deck and draining my hummingbird feeders. They're even chasing away the other kinds of birds whose only sin is to want to eat from the seed feeders. Hummingbirds can be mean. I think a couple of them were trying to scare me off the deck when I grilled burgers tonight. I may be driven from my deck by wasps and bees and the occasional attack from mosquitoes but until hummingbirds decide to drink human blood, they just aren't going to scare me off my deck. I find their antics endlessly fascinating.

My only other activities of the day were to chase a toad off my driveway before Muggsy would decide to eat it and get sick...and I had to speak sharply to her when she decided to check out a tree frog that was sitting by my front step. Don't ask me why I seem to get nightly visits from tree frogs...I have no concrete idea. MC Daughter thinks it might be because of my frog collections. I'm more of the opinion that they're after the moths that are attracted to our lights. Even though tree frogs aren't poisonous like toads, I refuse to let my dog eat them. Ewwww!!!!!

Murphyism of the Day

Murphy's Fourth Law of Food

Every recipe includes one ingredient that you do not have in your kitchen.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Shared laughter creates a bond of friendships. When people laugh together, they cease to be young and old, teacher and pupils, worker and boss. They become a single group of human beings. -- W. Lee Grant

MC Daughter and D Buddy - April 2007

Word of the Day

Comedicide - a. The telling of a terrible joke which incorporates elements of a recently told good joke, or example of wit. b. The retelling of a good joke, where the comedy of the joke is completely lost in the retelling. c. The repetition of a comedic line, situation, or word until it has lost all meaning or humor.

MC Daughter and D Buddy are here today. MC Daughter is going to make homemade pizza tonight for supper. We're going to have pizza and beer and watch a movie tonight. I get to sit back and relax. Love it.

Murphyism of the Day

Murphy's Third Law of Food

If you can afford it, it's out of season.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Competence, like truth, beauty and contact lenses, is in the eye of the beholder.

-- Laurence J. Peter